The present invention relates generally to protective helmets, and more specifically to a combat vehicle crewman (CVC) helmet assembly which provides ballistic, aural, head, and facial protection.
The provision of a helmet assembly which will comfortably fit combat crewman (CVC) while providing the requisite ballistic, aural, head, and facial protection as well as acoustic attenuation has presented a problem of long standing in the art. Such a helmet assembly should afford the wearer with a larger measure of ballistic protection, protection from injury resulting from contact with surfaces within the vehicle and it should limit the noise from within the vehicle which reaches the wearer's ear to a level which will not interfere with communication or damage hearing. All of the foregoing must be accomplished in headgear which is not unduly heavy, which may be adjusted to fit various size heads, which will not interfere with the required activities of the wearer and which may be worn with relative comfort for long periods of time. There has not previously been a helmet which would meet all these requirements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,209 to Frieder, Jr. et al, which issued May 17, 1977, there is disclosed a protective helmet assembly which includes a flexible inner helmet designed to fit relatively closely over a wearer's head and fitted with one or more impact-absorbing pads, and a hard rigid ballistic outer shell comprising a frontal portion releasably secured over the forehead area of the inner helmet and a rear portion releasably secured over the crown-to-nape area of the inner helmet, and in which assembly the inner helmet is provided with a pad of relatively flexible ballistic material in the forehead region thereof below the frontal portion of the outer shell.
It should be noted that the above-described protective helmet assembly has certain drawbacks. For instance, the aforementioned protective helmet assembly includes only a removable inner helmet; the inner helmet is not adjustable, thereby precluding such an assembly from accommodating a broad range of head sizes.
It is also very common in the prior art for protective helmet assemblies to use chinstraps to retain the earcups and provide earcup pressure to the head. Traditionally, the chinstrap is attached to the earcup to the wearer's head. Alternative methods for applying earcup pressure to the wearer's head, independent of a chinstrap, have been limited. One example of a protective helmet which applies earcup pressure without the use of a chinstrap is U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,277 to Durand et al. This patent discloses a helmet suitable for use by combat vehicle crewman comprising a rigid shell, formed of a ballistic resistant material, having earcup receiving extensions affixed thereto. Earcups are mounted in the shell extensions and are capable of movement in two directions thereto. The helmet also has an internal suspension system which affords two additional size adjustments.
It should be noted that the above-described protective helmet issued to Durand et al. has certain drawbacks. For example, the protective helmet offers no facial protection. Additionally, the aforementioned protective helmet has a cradle suspension system constructed of nylon straps.
Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 5.075,904 to Shirasaki et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5.056,162 to Tirums, U.S. Pat. No 4,908,877 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,642 to Brower, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,638 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,909 to Scott et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,333 to Lewis.